Rare Russian Diesel Shipment Expected in Norfolk November 2, Ahead of Tanker Bound for New York
A Vietnamese-flagged tanker, the PVT Azura, reportedly carrying 109,000 barrels of Russian diesel, departed Saint Petersburg on October 15 and is signaling Norfolk, Virginia, for arrival on November 2, potentially the first such shipment to reach the United States in more than three years. A second vessel, the Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes, loaded 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low-sulfur diesel at Primorsk on October 22 and has signaled New York for November 7. On October 9, Trump announced an agreement for Russian diesel supply, and the Treasury Department issued General License 135 authorizing transactions involving Russian-origin diesel through April 7, 2027.
Why it matters: The shipments test the administration's decision to reopen the US market to Russian diesel, linking sanctions relief directly to energy supply.